Information AboutBram Stoker |
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HIS LIFE He was born on , Thomas; born 1850 , Richard; born 1852 , Margaret; born 1854 and George; born 1855 ). Until he was 7 years old, recurring illness ensured that he could neither stand up nor walk on his own. This illness and helplessness was a traumatic experience which is noticeable in his literary work. Everlasting sleep and the Resurrection from the dead, which are the central themes of ''Dracula'', were of great importance for him, because he was forced to spend much of his life in bed. Not only his illness but also his convalescence were considered miracles by his doctors. After his recovery, he became a normal young man who even became an Athlete and soccer-star at the University of Dublin, where he studied history, literature, mathematics and physics at Trinity College . He was also president of the University Philosophical Society , where his first paper was on "Sensationalism in Fiction and Society", and auditor of the College Historical Society . He became a civil servant, a career that didn't satisfy him. So he started to work as a Journalist and as a drama Critic (''The Evening Mail''). His interest in theatre lead to a lifelong friendship with the actor Henry Irving . Stoker married Florence Balcome , a former girlfriend of Oscar Wilde , in 1878 . Stoker moved with his wife to London , where he became business manager of Irving's Lyceum Theatre , a post he held for 27 years. The collaboration with Irving was very important for Stoker. Through him he became involved in London's high society, where he met James McNeil Whistler and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle . In the course of Irving's tours he got the chance to travel around the world. DRACULA , 1st edition cover, Archibald Constable And Company , ''1897'']] See Also: Dracula He supplemented his income by writing a large number of sensational novels, his most famous being the vampire tale '' Dracula '' which he published in 1897 . Before writing ''Dracula'', Stoker spent eight years researching European folklore and stories of vampires. ''Dracula'' is an Epistolary Novel , written as collection of diary entries, telegrams, and letters from the characters, as well as fictional clippings from the Whitby and London newspapers. ''Dracula'' has been the basis for countless Film s and plays. The two that most closely follow the plot of the original novel are '' Nosferatu '' (1922) and '' Bram Stoker's Dracula '' (1992). ''Nosferatu'' was produced while Stoker's widow was still alive, and the filmmakers were forced to change the setting and the names of the characters for copyright reasons. Stoker wrote several other novels dealing with horror and supernatural themes, but none achieved the lasting fame or success of ''Dracula''. His other novels include '' The Snake's Pass '' ( 1890 ), '' The Jewel Of Seven Stars '' ( 1903 ), and '' The Lair Of The White Worm '' (1911). WORKS Novels
Short Story Collections
Uncollected Stories
Biography
(This was initially Stoker`s most famous book.) Non-Fiction
REFERENCES SEE ALSO
EXTERNAL LINKS ONLINE TEXTS
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